Despite the results of the 2008 presidential election, Americans, by a 2-to-1 margin, say their political views in recent years have become more conservative rather than more liberal, 39% to 18%, with 42% saying they have not changed. While independents and Democrats most often say their views haven’t changed, more members of all three major partisan groups indicate that their views have shifted to the right rather than to the left.

Here’s Brian’s superb analysis. It’s all good. I am gonna copy it all. He has some good advice for increasing conservatism.

..despite the election of Barack Obama and the Democratic strength in Congress (or because of it), Americans say they are becoming more conservative. For those who may not have realized it, this again emphasizes the importance to Republicans of restoring their credibility as the party of conservatism. While the mainstream media continues to ask how Republicans will moderate their views to compete more effectively, the reality is that they need to demonstrate that they believe what they say about limited government, personal responsibility, and a strong national defense…

First and most importantly, this ought to be a signal to all conservatives that there is likely to be a great opportunity for conservative candidates in 2009 and 2010. If you don’t like the direction this country is headed right now, you need to be active and engaged at the grassroots level. If you can show up for meetings, lick envelopes, walk a district, or give a few dollars to a candidate of your choice, you should be doing it. The American electorate wants change, even if they still profess their affinity for Barack Obama…..

So what’s the broad message of this poll? I think it’s a growing distrust of what they view as the liberal agenda of this Congress and this president. They may not have grown more opposed to gay marriage; they may recognize that their taxes have not gone up significantly (yet), but they can see that the current agenda is moving the country too far to the left. They know that they will have to pay for porkulus, and health care reform, and cap-and-tax. And they know they won’t be happy with the result. That’s why they consider themselves to be more conservative, even as their issue-by-issue views have moved only marginally.

I believe the increase in Americans defining themselves as conservative is a direct reaction to the current administration, their policies and the last year of the Bush Administration. Remember, the Law of Increasing Conservatism states:

All organizations tend to become more conservative as they get older, unless they experience periods of rapid growth or internal turnover.

In my opinion, Americans are becoming increasingly conservative due to an ” internal turnover.” The turnover is the statist, liberal, leftward tug on America and the breakneck pace at which the new Administration has radically changed the United States. The abandonment of the free market, increase in the Welfare state and quadrupling of Bush’s deficit. That’s just the first 8 months. God knows what is waiting in store for us in Kennedy’s health care bill, or how Cap n’ Trade will cripple the economy.